The 2010 Carlisle Truck Nationals

The 20th Annual Carlisle Truck Nationals was held August 6th-8th at the Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Fairgrounds. This is one of 10 annual events held by Carlisle Events at the 102-acre facility. If you are a truck guy, and you live in the Northeast, this is a must-attend event. Where else can you see custom classic trucks, restored classics, frame-dragging mini trucks, lifted or lowered 4x4s, and tricked-out big rigs all at the same venue? Such a mix of subcultures at one event is unique.

In last year's coverage of this show, we characterized the venue as a "melting pot of truck subcultures." Ditto for 2010; things were cooking again. As I worked my way around the show field, talked with truck owners and photographed their trucks, I again observed a high level of interaction between truck folks of all genres. This really is a meeting ground for truck lovers of all kinds. Folks were kicking back and having a great time, a lot of interesting engineering was on display, and it was easy to have a good conversation about some unique aspect of a build.

In addition to some 2,000 trucks on display, the show always features a great swap meet area with vendors showing up with lots of solid old metal. Given the area's winters and the prodigious amounts of salt laced on the highways, quality material is often difficult to locate. This is the place where builders can find a good selection of replacement parts at reasonable prices. The event's "car corral" is also a great source for solid project trucks. Every year there are a couple "barn find" trucks that are offered for sale, but you'll need to show up early to snag one of these.

Also, since many truck owners attend the show every year, you can follow the progress of their builds. For example, last year's coverage included a former trick mini-truck owner's '65 Chevy C10 rails on the ground "build-in-progress." We had to push it off his trailer so that I could photograph it. This year, although it's not quite finished, he drove it to the show. As you'll see in the photo, his truck is coming together quite nicely.

Logistics for attending the show are straightforward. There are many motels in the area, or should you prefer, campgrounds that are conveniently located. The 2011 Carlisle Truck Nationals will be held August 5th-7th. More information about the event can be found at www.CarlisleEvents.com. At this same site you can find details about Carlisle's annual spring and fall swap meets, which are legendary for the selection of material offered to custom car and truck builders.